Golf towel

ABSTRACT

A golf towel is provided which includes a single, composite towel article having a top end, bottom end and consists of a first inner sheet, a second outer sheet and a third sheet between the first inner and second outer sheets. The three sheets are bound together to form the single composite towel article. The towel article is folded in half to form a fold line and bound along the fold line so as to form a pair or towel flaps having facing interior sheeting surfaces of the first inner sheet, external sheeting surfaces of the second outer sheet, and a gap open at the bottom end of the towel article. The first inner sheet comprises bamboo.

PRIORITY STATEMENT

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefitunder 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/694,085,filed Mar. 30, 2007 to the inventors and entitled “GOLF TOWEL AND GOLFTOWEL ASSEMBLY”, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated byreference herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Example embodiments relate generally to a golf towel for cleaning golfballs and golf equipment such as the heads and/or faces of golf clubs.

2. Related Art

While playing the game of golf, a golfer will typically encounterresidual dirt, grass and other material on the golf ball, club facesand/or his hands as he traverses the golf course during his round. In aneffort to have the cleanest contact between club face and ball, it isdesirable for the golfer to continually maintain the faces of the clubheads free of debris, dirt and/or grass. Although the golfer cannotremove the ball from the fairway or rough to clean the ball whileplaying shots to the green, once the ball lands on the green the golfermay mark the spot and clean the ball prior to taking his putt.

In an effort to maintain his clubs and balls in top rate, cleancondition, a golfer will typically carry one or more golf towels either,attached to his belt or to a carabiner on his golf bag. Often, somegolfers periodically desire to moisten the towel at a water cooler onthe course or in a body of water traversing one or more holes at thecourse. This occasionally may be a distracting side trip during theround, as it is desirable for the golfer to maintain his tempo on thecourse so as to be able to concentrate on his swing and/or putt. Inreality, most golfers do not wet their towel due to the fact that themoisture often transfers from the towel to their pant leg or otherequipment as they are carrying it. The presents a nuisance due to theinadvertent contact between the wet towel and pant leg.

Some prior art golf towels include a dry, clean surface and a wet,moistened surface. Other prior art golf towels may include a pocketwhich may be configured to contain moisture, with the outside of thetowel having a dry cleaning surface for wiping down the club face orball.

SUMMARY

An example embodiment of the present invention is directed to a golftowel. The golf towel includes a single, composite towel article havinga top end, bottom end and consists of a first inner sheet, a secondouter sheet and a third sheet between the first inner and second outersheets. The three sheets are bound together to form the single compositetowel article. The towel article is folded in half to form a fold lineand bound along the fold line so as to form a pair or towel flaps havingfacing interior sheeting surfaces of the first inner sheet, externalsheeting surfaces of the second outer sheet, and a gap open at thebottom end of the towel article. The first inner sheet comprises bamboo.

Another example embodiment is directed to a golf towel. The golf towelincludes a bamboo sheet, a terry cloth sheet, and a moisture impervioussheet interposed between the bamboo and terry cloth sheets so that wheneither the bamboo or terry cloth sheet is wetted, moisture is nottranslated to the other sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Example embodiments will become more fully understood from the detaileddescription given herein below and the accompanying drawings, whereinlike elements are represented by like reference numerals, which aregiven by way of illustration only and thus are not limitative of theexample embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a golf towel in accordance with anexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional top view of the one-piece towel shown inFIG. 1A spread out in a single horizontal plane.

FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional top down view illustrating the relationshipof sheet layers in the towel of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a golf towel assembly in accordance with another exampleembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a golf towel assembly in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a golf towel assembly in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are tri-fold and bi-fold golf towels in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a golf towel assembly in accordancewith another example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6B is a partial front view of the lower portion of the golf towelin FIG. 6A to illustrate the angled towel sheet.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8A is a top view of the golf towel in FIG. 7 laid flat toillustrate the folds for binding the golf towel together.

FIG. 8B is a cross-section view taken across line A-A in FIG. 8A toillustrate the tri-layer construction of the towel article.

FIG. 8C is a perspective side view of the golf towel in FIG. 7 toillustrate an intermediate folding step for assembling the golf towel.

FIG. 8D is a side view of the golf towel in FIG. 7 to illustratesubsequent steps for binding the golf towel together at a top endthereof and to illustrate the fold-up panel.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a front view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view of a golf towel in accordancewith an example embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.1A, towel 100 may be embodied as a single composite towel having threelayered sheets, and which is bent at bend 160 and secured via hole 150with a suitable carabiner 180 attached through an inserted grommet 155extending through aligned holes 150 of the towel 100. A grommet 155 isprovided on both sides of the towel 100 as shown to facilitate removingthe towel from an external article to reverse it inside out, such as incases of inclement weather and/or to dry the towel 100, for example.Each of the front outside flap surface 110, front inside flap surface120, rear inside flap surface 125 and rear outside flap surface 130 canbe made of the same sheeting material or different materials. The towel100 may be bound, such as stitched, sealed, fastened etc. with asuitable stitching 140 or other fastening means such as application of aheat sealing or bonding adhesive to secure the top horizontal surfaces135 and 145 of the front and rear flap portions together, as shown inFIG. 1A. This creates an open cavity 165 between the inside flapsurfaces 120 and 125.

The towel 100 may be made of a polyurethane-based material such asNarcote™ or equivalent material (such as other polypropylene) so thatthe outer surfaces 110 and 130 are smooth, to be used as a dryingsurface. The inside surfaces 120 and 125 may be wetted with a suitableliquid such as water, however, no moisture is translated to the outersurfaces 110 and 130 due to a moisture barrier layer sheet (not picturedin FIG. 1A) which is provided as a middle enclosed layer sheet of thetowel 100. In an example, inner surfaces 120, 125 may have a rougher orcoarser surface to assist in removing dirt or debris, as compared to thesmoother outer surfaces 110, 130. Alternatively, the inner surfaces 120,125 may be smoother as compared to the outer surfaces 110, 130.

In one example, the inner surfaces 120, 125 can be composed of a bamboomaterial. Alternatively, inner surfaces 120, 125 may be composed of asponge-like material, or a synthetic or natural chamois leather.

FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional top view of the one-piece towel shown inFIG. 1A spread out in a single plane. FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional topdown view illustrating the relationship of sheet layers in the towel ofFIG. 1A. Referring to FIGS. 1B and 1C, and in particular, towel 100 maybe comprised of two outer cloth layers 132 and 134 which may be bound orstitched together or fastened by other well-known textile combiningmeans. Layers 132 and 134 may be made of a suitable cotton or terrycloth or combination of terry cloth made with filaments of one or moreof cotton, polyester, polyimide, polyurethane, and a microfiber forexample. Alternatively, layers 132 and 134 may have outer and/or innersurfaces 110, 120, 125 and 130 made of Narcote™, a microfiber, asponge-like material, chamois or other equivalent type material.

In one example, layer 132 is composed of terry cloth and layer 134 iscomprised of a bamboo material. As an example, the layer 134 (alsoreferred to hereafter as a sheet) may be 100% bamboo. Alternatively, thebamboo material could be mixed, or blended with other filaments. Thebamboo material has inherent anti-bacterial and anti-microbialproperties. Thus, no anti-bacterial, anti-microbial or mildewicidalagents need be added to layer 134.

Moreover, use of bamboo for layer 134, instead of other materials suchas terry cloth, microfiber or chamois, speeds drying time. Under thesun, the inventors tested a wetted bamboo towel against a terry clothtowel under identical conditions. The bamboo towel dried approximatelythree times faster than the terry cloth towel.

A moisture barrier layer sheet 175 is provided between the outer towellayers 132 and 134. Any suitable impervious material may be used for themoisture barrier layer 175, such as a flexible plastic sheet material ofvinyl or polyolefins such as polyurethane, polyethylene andpolypropylene. In an example, a bactericidal or mildewicidal agent maybe incorporated in one or more of the layers 132, 134 and/or 175 toprevent the growth of bacteria or mildew. The moisture barrier layer 175may be stitched or bonded by adhesive to the towel layers 132 and 134and as such would not be in contact with the outside environment or air.The plastic material utilized for moisture barrier layer 175 should be amaterial which is not damaged when the towel 100 is washed inconventional washing machines. As is known, materials such aspolyolefins and vinyls typically resist temperatures up to about 212° F.

The towel 100 is attached via its grommet 155 to a golf bag usingcarabiner 180. In use, the golfer wets the interior surfaces with waterand moisture barrier layer 175 preventing the outer surfaces 110 and 130from contact with the entrained moisture. The golfer simply insertshis/her club face or ball into the open cavity 165, grasps the towel 100and applies a vigorous wiping action. The can be done either by holdingthe towel 100 and moving the club face or ball, or holding the club faceor ball still and massaging the club face or ball with the grippingaction of the towel 100. Once the golf ball or club face is free ofdebris or grit, the golfer then dries the club face or golf ball on theouter surfaces 100 or 130 and resumes his or her next shot.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of golf towel assembly in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.2, the golf towel assembly 200 includes a single foldable towel 205 anda separately attachable attachment flap 275. The attachment flap 275 mayinclude a Velcro patch 280 on the lower portion thereof and a grommet285 which is configured for attachment to a golf bag via suitable strapor carabiner, as is known. Alternatively, patch 280 may be made of 3MHedlock material. The single towel 205 has a similar construction asshown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, including a moisture barrier layer between twoouter cloth layers. Towel 205 also includes a corresponding Velcro patch255 (or 3M Hedlock material) on a rear surface 230 thereof, such thattowel 205 may be removably attached to Velcro patch 280 on theattachment flap 275. This permits a “grip and rip” function for thegolfer to quickly remove the towel 205 from the attachment flap 275.

Velcro discs 240 (or 3M Hedlock material) are provided on insidesurfaces 220 and 225 of the towel 205. When the towel 205 is attached toattachment flap 275, the Velcro disc 240 may be secured together to forman open-ended cavity 265 at a bottom of the towel 205 thereof. As inFIG. 1, the user wets the interior surfaces 220 and 225 and the outersurfaces 210 and 230 remain dry due to the moisture barrier therebetween. Accordingly, the function of cleaning debris, grit or grass offthe club face or golf ball, may be similar to as described in FIG. 1 andcan be done with the towel 205 attached to the attachment flap 275 on agolf bag, or removed from the attachment flap 275 and secured at a topend thereof via Velcro disc 240 to provide the open ended cavity 265 forcleaning the club face or golf ball, after which the club face or golfball is dried on the outer surfaces 210 or 230 of towel 205.

In each of FIGS. 1A and 2 and as to be described in additional exampleembodiments hereafter, the inclusion of an interior moisture barrierlayer between the front and back surfaces of the towel 100 or 205 mayprovide a reverse function in inclement weather. For example, in FIG. 2if during a rainstorm the outer surfaces 210 and 230 of towel 205 becomewet, the moisture barrier layer between the inner and outer surfaces210, 230 and 220, 225 enable the interior surfaces 220 and 225 to remaindry. Accordingly, the golfer merely wipes his/her club face or ball onthe outer surfaces 210 or 230 of the towel 205, and then utilizes one orboth of the interior surfaces 220 or 225 to dry the cleaned golf clubface or golf ball.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a golf towel assembly in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.3, golf towel assembly 300 includes a rear support towel flap 310 and adetachable composite towel 305 which is releasably attached to rearsupport towel flap 310 via Velcro strips 319 and 324. Rear support towelflap 310 is generally rigid and provides support for the composite towel305. In an example, the flap 310 can have a rigid member (plastic, wovenfiber, etc.) between two towel sheets that are bound to form the flap310 so as to provide some rigidity to the flap 310, and/or the flap 310may be of a single tightly-woven fabric that is rigid. Rear supporttowel flap 310 includes a grommet 314 in an upper corner of the towel310 through hole 312 to allow attachment of the towel assembly 300 to agolf bag with a suitable carabiner or strap, for example.

Velcro strip 319 may be affixed (by sealing means, stitching, etc.) in adiagonal fashion across the front surface 316 of towel flap 310. Towelflap 310 also has a pair of Velcro discs 318 stitched at oppositecorners below a midway point 315 of towel flap 310, as shown in FIG. 3.

The composite towel 305 includes a first towel sheet 320, a moisturebarrier sheet 330 and a second towel sheet 340. Each of these sheets320, 330 and 340 may be secured together at an outer periphery thereofwith suitable stitching 350, or alternatively bonded by heat or adhesivealong outer edges thereof. Moisture barrier sheet 330 may be made of asuitable plastic such as a polyolefin or Gortex®, and first and secondtowel sheets 320 and 330 may be made of a suitable terry cloth orcomposite terry cloth material made of filaments of cotton, polyesterand/or polyimide. Alternatively, towel sheets 320 and 330 may be made ofsuitable microfiber structure as is known in the art. In an example,inside surface 328 of first towel sheet 320 and inside surface 342 ofsecond towel sheet 340 may be fabricated to have a rougher surface ascompared to the outer surfaces 326 and 344, which may have a smoothersurface. This is to assist in removing the debris or grit from the golfclub face or a golf ball, for example. Conversely, the inner surfaces328, 342 may be smoother as compared to the outer surfaces 326 and 344for the same purpose.

First towel sheet 320 has a pair of Velcro discs 322 and 325 across adiagonal thereof to mate up with Velcro disc 318 on towel flap 310. Whenthe composite towel 305 is removed from towel flap 310, Velcro disc 322may be connected to Velcro disc 325 to form a generally triangular towelshape which allows insertion of the club face or golf ball into the wet,moistened interior, which would be formed by the rear surface 326 of thefirst towel sheet 320. The golfer can then dry the club face or ball onthe outer surface 344 of second towel sheet 340. Once the round isfinished, the composite golf towel 305 can be re-fastened in anon-foldout orientation via Velcro discs 318/320, 322/325.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a golf towel assembly in accordance withanother example embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.4, golf towel assembly 400 includes a detachable, foldable towel 430which may be attached to a rear support towel flap 410 via Velcro strips419 and 424. Velcro strip 419 is attached to front surface 416 of towelflap 410 at a midpoint 415 of towel flap 410 by suitable stitching, forexample, or adhesively bonded to towel flap 410 at the midpoint 415. Asin FIG. 3, rear support towel flap 410 may be substantially rigid andincludes a hole 412 at an upper corner thereof for insertion of agrommet 414 there through for attachment to a golf bag. Additionally,there are included a pair of Velcro discs 418A and 418B on front surface416, as well as a Velcro disc 417 at a lower corner thereof. Aspreviously noted, the flap 410 can have a rigid member (plastic, wovenfiber, etc.) between two towel sheets that are bound to form the flap410 so as to provide some rigidity to the flap 410, and/or the flap 410may be of a single tightly-woven fabric that is rigid.

Detachable golf towel 430 may include a Velcro disc 432 on a rearsurface 436 and Velcro discs 438A and 438B which may be attached tocorresponding Velcro discs 418A and 418B on towel flap 410. Detachablegolf towel 430 may also have the tri-layer sheet construction as shownin the previous example embodiments. Interior surfaces 433 and 435 canhave a rough texture and may be moistened with water or suitable liquid,while rear surface 436 and front surface 434 may be made of a smoothNarcote™, terry cloth, microfiber or other equivalent material fordrying the golf club face or golf ball after it has been cleaned withininterior surfaces 433 and 435. As an alternative, a zipper may replaceVelcro strips 419 and 424 for removably attaching towel 430 from rearsupport towel flap 410. In another alternative, 3M headlock material maybe used in lieu of Velcro for each of the discs for 417, 418A, 418B,438A and 438B. Additionally, the golfer may use the front surface 416 oftowel flap 410 to dry a club face, golf ball or his hands after cleaningwithin interior surfaces 433 and 435 of the golf towel 430.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate tri-fold and bi-fold example golf towels inaccordance with an example embodiment of the present invention. In thetri-fold embodiment of FIG. 5A, a one-piece towel having the tri-layerconstruction as described in the previous embodiments may be folded inthree folds and attached with a grommet 555 there through. The interiorsurface 520 of towel 500A may be of a rougher, coarser material than theouter surfaces 510 and 530. Similarly, in FIG. 5B, for the bi-fold, golftowel 500B, the interior surface 520 to be wetted may be of a coarser,rougher material than the outer surfaces 510 and 530 of towel 500B.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a golf towel assembly in accordancewith another example embodiment of the present invention. According toFIG. 6A, golf towel assembly 600 includes a rear support towel flap 610which may be generally rigid and which tapers into a generallytriangular lower end and a generally triangular towel portion 620 whichis removably attachable to towel flap 610 via suitable Velcro strips(not shown) or via a zipper 630. Each of the towel flap 610 and towelportion 620 may have the tri-layer construction as shown in the previousexample embodiments, or just towel portion 620. An interior surface 625of towel portion 620 and an interior surface 635 underneath towelportion 620 of towel flap 610 may be made of a coarser, rougher materialsuch as Narcote™ or equivalent. Interior surfaces 625 and 638 may bemoistened, with one or both of towel flap 610 and towel portion 620having an inner moisture barrier layer sheet therein to prevent thismoisture from being translated to outside surface 627 of towel portion620 and rear surface 631 of towel flap 610.

FIG. 6B shows a front view of lower a portion of towel assembly 600 inFIG. 6A. As shown in FIG. 6B, once golfing is complete, the golfer mayfold towel portion 620 such that Velcro disc 636 is fastened to Velcrodisc 640 on the front surface 615 of the rear support towel flap 610.This facilitates drying of the interior surface 625 of towel portion620. Likewise, as best shown in FIG. 6A, the bottom portion of rearsupport towel flap 610 can be folded backwards so that Velcro disc 635is fastened to the rear Velcro disc 640 on the rear side of towel flap610. It is of note that the lower end of rear support towel flap 610 maybe angled to match the dimensions of towel portion 620, as shown in FIG.6A, for example.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention. Golf towel 700 is formed ofa single composite towel article 730 having a top end 735 and a bottomend 745. The towel article 730 has a multi-layer sheet construction,similar to as described in FIGS. 1B and 1C, for example, but does notutilize grommets 155 for attachment to an external article. The threelayer sheets are bound together via suitable binding means such assewing, heat-sealing, bonding, etc., as is known in the art to form thecomposite towel article 730. The towel article 730 is folded in half toform a fold line with a pair of facing interior sheeting surfaces 720and 725, and a pair of external sheeting surfaces 710 and 715. A gap 760is also formed along a side 762 and along the bottom end 745 of thetowel article 730, as shown in FIG. 7.

An attachment means to an external article, shown as a webbing article750, is provided in an upper corner 755 of the golf towel 700. Thewebbing article 750 includes loops 752 and 754 formed at either end. Oneloop 752 is secured within the folds of the towel article 730. Loop 754is shown extended from the upper corner 755 for receiving a suitableattachment mechanism (i.e., carabiner) of an external article such as agolf bag, a belt worn by a person or a belt loop of pants worn by aperson. In an alternative, the webbing article 750 may be replaced bythe attachment means (grommet and carabiner) shown in FIG. 1A, forexample.

Two panels 770 and 775 are formed by the folding of the composite towelarticle 730. The two panels 770 and 775 are bound only at the top end735 of the towel article 730, shown generally by a horizontal bindingline 740, for example. A corner of panel 770 can be pulled back andfixedly attached to the outer sheeting surface 710 so as to form a flap790. In this configuration, it may be easier for a user to insert a clubhead of a golf club or his hand into the cavity or gap 760 formedbetween the panels 770 and 775. In an alternative, a pocket (not shown)may be affixed as part of the flap 790 to facilitate engagement of theaccessory with the towel article 730.

FIG. 8A is a top view of the golf towel 700 to illustrate the folds forbinding the golf towel together. The towel article 730 is lain flat toillustrate the inner sheeting surfaces 720 and 725 which when foldedwill be facing one another. To arrange the towel article 730 in itsfinal form for binding along the top end 735, the towel article 730 isfolded in half along first fold line 772. The towel article may then befolded along second fold line 774, and then folded along a third foldline 776 such that the fold overlaps the fold made at the second foldline 774. However, it would be evident to the skilled artisan to foldthe towel article 730 in a different configuration or along differentlines; the above is merely one example. This will be shown in furtherdetail with regard to FIGS. 8C and 8D.

FIG. 8B is a cross-section view taken across line A-A in FIG. 8A toillustrate the tri-layer construction of the towel article 730. Thetowel article 730 has a tri-layer construction, including a first towelsheet layer 728, a second towel sheet layer 734 and a moisture barrierlayer 732 interposed therebetween. As previously discussed, the threelayer sheets 728, 732 and 734 are bound together (such as by stitching,sealing, bonding, etc.) around an outer periphery thereof to form thesingle, multi-layered towel article 730.

As the towel article is folded at the first fold line 772, the innersheeting surfaces 720 and 725 of the first layer 728 will face eachother, with the outer sheeting surfaces 710 and 715 forming the exteriorsurfaces of the golf towel 700, as shown in FIG. 7. The first towelsheet layer 728 (inner sheet) comprises bamboo material. In an example,the first towel sheet layer 728 is 100% bamboo. Since bamboo materialhas inherent anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties, using 100%bamboo thus eliminates the need to add anti-bacterial, anti-microbial ormildewicidal agents to the first towel sheet layer 728. Additionally,the bamboo towel sheet layer 728 dries substantially faster than othermaterials such as terry cloth, microfiber or chamois, as previouslynoted.

The second towel sheet layer 734 (outer sheet) may be composed ofmaterials such as terry cloth, terry cloth combined with filaments ofcotton, polyester and/or polyimide, a Narcote™, a microfiber orequivalent material. As previously described in the above exampleembodiments, the third moisture barrier sheet is embodied as a flexibleplastic sheet material. Examples of suitable materials include vinyl,polyurethane, polyethylene and polypropylene.

The different shadings between the first towel sheet 728 and secondtowel sheet 734 are provided to reflect that the facing inner sheetsurfaces 720 or 725 of the first towel sheet 728 can have a coarsersurface or made of a different material such as a sponge-like materialor chamois, for example, as compared to the outer sheeting surfaces 710and 715 of the second towel sheet 734. Alternatively, in an examplewhere the first towel sheet 728 is bamboo and the second towel sheet 734is terry cloth, the inner surfaces 720, 725 are smoother as compared tothe outer surfaces 710, 715.

Similar to as previously described above, the inclusion of an interiormoisture barrier layer 732 between the front and back surfaces of thetowel 700 may provide a reverse function in inclement weather. If duringa rainstorm the outer surfaces 710 and 725 become wet, the moisturebarrier layer 732 between the inner and outer surfaces enable theinterior surfaces 720 and 725 to remain dry. Accordingly, the golfermerely wipes his/her club face or ball on the outer surfaces 710 or 715of the towel 700, and then utilizes one or both of the interior surfaces720, 725 to dry the cleaned golf club face or golf ball.

FIG. 8C is a perspective side view of the golf towel in FIG. 7 toillustrate an intermediate folding step for assembling the golf towel.FIG. 8C illustrates in particular how an upper portion of the golf towel700 is folded at the top end 735 thereof in preparation for binding thetwo panels 775 and 770 together. The towel 700 shows a first fold 782which provides two roughly equal size panels 770 and 775. FIG. 8C alsobetter illustrates the facing interior sheeting surfaces 720 and 725 ofthe corresponding panels 770 and 775. Further, a second fold 784 is madealong the second fold line 774 in FIG. 8A and then the third fold 786 ismade along the third fold line 776 in FIG. 8A. Alternatively, instead offolds, the towel configuration for towel 700 may be effected throughother means such as bonding, heat sealing, etc.

FIG. 8D is a side view of the golf towel in FIG. 7 to illustratesubsequent folding steps for binding the golf towel 700 together at atop end 735 thereof and to illustrate the fold-up flap 790. FIG. 8D moreclearly shows how the two folds 784 and 786 are bound together. Inparticular, fold 786 overlaps fold 784 and then the towel 700 is boundalong the top surface 735, such as shown in FIG. 7 at binding line 740.Accordingly, the panels 770 and 775 are bound only to each other acrossone side of the towel article 730. Once the towel article 730 is boundat the top surface 735, the flap 790 can be formed and suitably attachedto the outer sheeting surface 710 of panel 770 by a suitable affixingmeans such as a stitches, corresponding pieces of Velcro or 3M Hedlock,or thermally bound through a sealing means as is well known in the art.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention. The golf towel 900 of FIG.9 is slightly different from the previous embodiments in that it isbound along sides 935 and 945, as generally indicated by binding lines940 and 942. Similar to the embodiments in FIGS. 1A and 7, the compositetowel article 930 has the tri-layer construction as shown in any ofFIGS. 1B, 1C and/or 8B, shown at a first fold 982 which verticallybisects the towel into two panels 970 and 975. The panel 970 formed bythe fold 982 may have slightly longer edges so as to enable subsequentfolds 984 and 986 to wrap over the edges of panel 975. Accordingly, oncethese folds are bound along binding lines 940 and 942 so as to attachpanels 970 and 975 together at sides 935 and 945, a cavity or gap 960 isformed between opposing inner sheeting surfaces 920 and 925 of the first(inner) towel sheet in the tri-layer construction of towel article 930.As each of the layers may be configured as previously described; adetailed explanation is omitted for purposes of brevity.

FIG. 10 is a front view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention. As towel 1000 issubstantially similar in construction to towel 700, only differences arediscussed in detail. A single small material strip or loop 1054 isstitched into the binding line that binds the three sheets togetheralong a periphery thereof; there is no loop within the top corner of theinterior facing bamboo sheeting surfaces (not shown). The carabiner 1080is fastened to loop 1054 so as to attach towel 1000 to an externalarticle. Unlike the fold flap 790 of FIG. 7, a triangular corner pocket1090 may be bound along two sides to the outer sheeting surface 1010 (asimilar pocket 1090 can be stitched on the other surface 1015 (notshown). The user can insert a club grip end or finger into the pocket1090 to lift one flap of the towel 1000. Additionally, a pair of smallfabric extensions 1092 (only one shown) may be attached to the cornerends of the outer sheeting surfaces 1010, 1015 to provide another way tolift a towel flap.

FIG. 11 is a front view of a golf towel in accordance with anotherexample embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is identical toFIG. 10, with the exception that a wide material strip 1190 replaces thecorner pocket 1090. The strip 1190 has been bound at its ends to twosides of the outer sheeting surfaces 1010, 1015 (only one side isshown). The use of strips 1190 on both outer surfaces 1010, 1015 enablesa user to insert the club head of his club through the strip 1190 so asto lift the towel flap.

In each of the above embodiments, a gap may be formed at the bottom endof the golf towel so as to permit the facing interior sheeting surfacesto remain dry when the towel is subjected to precipitation or moisturein the environment. Thus, in a dry environment, the interior sheetingsurfaces within the gap can be wetted to facilitate leaning golf clubfaces, golf balls and/or hands of the golfer, and the outer sheetingsurfaces can be used to dry the accessory or hands. Alternatively on arainy day, the outer surfaces may be used to clean a golf club face,golf ball or hand and the inner sheeting surfaces, which remain dry dueto the moisture barrier layer provided in the tri-layer construction,may be used to dry the accessory or hands. Further in each of the aboveembodiments, the example golf towels can be flipped inside out to dryafter use.

Accordingly, the example embodiments are directed to golf towels used onthe golf course and which provide an easier mechanism by which to cleana golf ball, the golfer's hands and/or golf equipment for removing grassstains, dirt and other debris. In some example embodiments, an opencavity is formed at the bottom of the golf towel rather than an actualpocket to facilitate ease of insertion of the golf club head face, golfball or handle up into the cavity.

Each of the example embodiments has a generally large cleaning surfaceand a generally large drying surface using, for example, conventionalterry cloth sheeting materials or the like on the external sheetingsurfaces and a bamboo material for the inner sheet. Each exampleembodiment includes a moisture barrier layer interposed between innerand outer sheets and hence not exposed to the environment or air;preventing moisture from translating from one side surface to the otherside surface of the towel sheets. In several of the example embodiments,there is provided an attachable or removable towel portion which can beremoved by the golfer for use on the putting green to clean their dirtygolf balls.

Additionally, several example embodiments provide attachment means whichallow portions of the golf towel to efficiently dry once the golfer'sround is complete, so as to avoid any bacteria or mildew from forming onsurfaces thereof. Therefore, the example golf towel may improve the easeand efficiency by which a golfer may clean their golf club faces, golfballs and/or hands.

The example embodiments being thus described, it will be obvious thatthe same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to beregarded as departure from the spirit and scope of the exampleembodiments, and all such modifications as would be obvious to oneskilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of thefollowing claims.

1. A golf towel, comprising: a single, composite towel article having atop end, bottom end and consisting of a first inner sheet, a secondouter sheet and a third sheet between the first inner and second outersheets, the three sheets bound together to form the single compositetowel article, the towel article folded in half to form a fold line andbound along the fold line so as to form a pair or towel flaps havingfacing interior sheeting surfaces of the first inner sheet, externalsheeting surfaces of the second outer sheet, and a gap open at thebottom end of the towel article, and the first inner sheet comprisingbamboo.
 2. The golf towel of claim 1, wherein the first inner sheet iscomposed of a 100% bamboo material.
 3. The golf towel of claim 1,wherein no anti-bacterial, anti-microbial or mildewicidal agents areadded to any of the first, second and third sheets.
 4. The golf towel ofclaim 1, wherein the third sheet serves as a moisture impervious barrierlayer so that the interior sheeting surfaces of the bamboo inner sheet,when wetted, do not translate moisture to the external sheeting surfacesof the second sheet.
 5. The golf towel of claim 1, further comprisingattachment means provided at an upper corner of the top end forattaching the golf towel to an external article.
 6. The golf towel ofclaim 5, wherein the attachment means further comprises: a webbing loopmember stitched along the fold line at the upper corner of the one sidewhere the three sheets are bound to form the folded towel article, and acarabiner secured to the webbing loop and releasably attachable to anexternal article to secure the golf towel to the external article. 7.The golf towel of claim 5, wherein the external article is one of a golfbag, a belt worn by a person and a belt loop of pants worn by a person.8. The golf towel of claim 1, wherein the second outer sheet is composedof a material selected from a group consisting of terry cloth, terrycloth combined with filaments of one or more of cotton, polyester,polyimide, polyurethane, sponge, synthetic or natural chamois leather,and a microfiber.
 9. The golf towel of claim 1, wherein the third sheetis composed of a flexible plastic sheet material selected from a groupconsisting of vinyl, polyethylene, polyurethane and polypropylene. 10.The golf towel of claim 1, further comprising a triangular pocketprovided at the bottom corner of each outer sheeting surface where thetwo flaps of the folded towel article separate to facilitate grasping aflap to access the sheeting surfaces of the bamboo inner sheet.
 11. Thegolf towel of claim 1, further comprising a strip of material extendingacross a lower end of each outer sheeting surface and bound at each endalong a corresponding edge of the outer sheeting surface to form anopening permitting a club head to be extended there through to lift aflap for accessing the sheeting surfaces of the bamboo inner sheet. 12.The golf towel of claim 1, wherein the outer sheeting surfaces arecoarser than the facing surfaces of the inner bamboo sheet.
 13. A golftowel, comprising: a bamboo sheet, a terry cloth sheet, and a moistureimpervious sheet interposed between the bamboo and terry cloth sheets sothat when either the bamboo or terry cloth sheet is wetted, moisture isnot translated to the other sheet.
 14. The golf towel of claim 13,wherein the bamboo sheet is composed of a 100% bamboo material.
 15. Thegolf towel of claim 13, wherein no anti-bacterial, anti-microbial ormildewicidal agents are included in any of the sheets.
 16. The golftowel of claim 13, wherein the moisture impervious sheet is composed ofa flexible plastic selected from a group consisting of vinyl,polyethylene, polyurethane and polypropylene.
 17. The golf towel ofclaim 13, further comprising attachment means provided at an uppercorner of a top end of the towel for attaching the golf towel to anexternal article.
 18. The golf towel of claim 17, wherein the attachmentmeans further comprises: a webbing loop member stitched along the foldline at the upper corner, and a carabiner secured to the webbing loopand releasably attachable to the external article.
 19. The golf towel ofclaim 13, wherein the sheets are bound around a periphery thereof toform a composite towel article, folded and then bound along a fold lineso as to form a pair of flaps having facing inner sheeting surfaces ofthe bamboo sheet and outer sheeting surfaces of the terry cloth sheet,the towel being open at the bottom.
 20. The golf towel of claim 19,further comprising a triangular pocket provided at the bottom corner ofeach outer sheeting surface where the two flaps separate to facilitategrasping a flap to access the facing surfaces of the bamboo sheet. 21.The golf towel of claim 19, further comprising a strip of materialextending across a lower end of each outer sheeting surface and bound ateach end along a corresponding edge of the outer sheeting surface topermit a club head to be extended there through and lift a flap foraccessing the sheeting surfaces of the bamboo inner sheet.
 22. The golftowel of claim 19, wherein the outer sheeting surfaces of the terrycloth sheet are coarser than the facing inner surfaces of the bamboosheet.